Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Brian Donegan
Published: May 23,2017
Locally flooding rainfall and
severe thunderstorms will continue to be a threat over a large swath of
the South through Wednesday.(MORE: Summer 2017 Temperature Outlook)
There
were six reports of tornadoes in southern Georgia Tuesday afternoon,
including one confirmed tornado that moved through just north of Tybee
Island.

Three
tornadoes were reported in North Carolina, and minor injuries occurred
when a mobile home overturned from one of the possible twisters near
Salemburg.(LATEST NEWS: Damage, Tornadoes Reported as Severe Weather Moves Through the South)
If that weren't enough, the streets of downtown Charleston, South Carolina, filled with knee-deep water Tuesday.
An
area of low pressure will slide east along a stalled front near the
Gulf Coast through midweek. That low will pull abundant tropical
moisture northward from the Gulf of Mexico, providing the fuel needed
for additional heavy downpours to develop.
Currently, several
clusters of thunderstorms and areas of soaking rain are tracking through
parts of the South from Virginia to Florida and along the northern Gulf
Coast.
(INTERACTIVE: Your Local Radar Loop)

Current Radar, Watches and Warnings

The National
Weather Service has hoisted flash flood watches from Georgia to
southern Virginia through Wednesday, including the Atlanta,
Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham metro areas.

Flood Alerts

Here's a general outlook of what to expect through Wednesday.

Wednesday

Flood threat: Lingering
showers and thunderstorms are possible in the Southeast, especially in
portions of Florida, southern Georgia and southeastern South Carolina.
Locally heavy downpours remain possible, which could lead to additional
areas of flooding. This rainfall, however, will be beneficial for parts
of the Florida Peninsula experiencing drought conditions. A flash flood
threat also exists in the central and southern Appalachians.

Severe threat: A
few severe storms are also possible through Wednesday night in parts of
north and central Florida, stretching into southern and eastern Georgia
and much of South Carolina.

South Outlook

Many
areas in the South will pick up 1 to 3 inches of rainfall through
Wednesday. However, where thunderstorm clusters stall or move too
slowly, higher amounts are expected.
The best chance of greater
than 3 inches of additional rain will occur in a swath from northern
Florida to southern Virginia. A few places may even see more than 5
inches of rainfall.(FORECAST: Jacksonville | Charleston | Norfolk)
The good news is that flood-ravaged Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri will avoid this heavy rainfall.
In addition, this rainfall will likely be beneficial in easing drought conditions that remain in place across much of Georgia, Florida and Alabama, as well as parts of South Carolina.

Rainfall Forecast Through Wednesday

Flooding Reports Since Saturday

Monday

Heavy rain led to flooded roadways in Galveston, Texas, on Monday. A tornado warning was issued for Galveston Island around midday as radar imagery indicated rotation, and reports of funnel clouds were received
by the National Weather Service. No tornado has yet been confirmed,
however. Galveston picked up 2.33 inches of rain in about 8 hours Monday
morning.

Flash flooding was also reported Monday in Columbia, South Carolina, and in southern portions of the Jacksonville, Florida, metro area.
In Savannah, Georgia, 4.69 inches of rain fell in only two hours Monday afternoon, leading to flash flooding there, as well.

Sunday

Torrential rainfall caused flooding in the Laredo, Texas, area on Sunday where some water rescues took place, according to the Laredo Morning Times. The city was also battered by large hail and strong thunderstorm winds.
In
addition, a 14-year-old boy died from electrocution Sunday after he
came in contact with a power line that was downed during the storms, the Laredo Morning Times reported.

Saturday

In
the Montgomery, Alabama, area, heavy rain resulted in numerous flooded
roadways Saturday night into early Sunday. A total of 8.15 inches of
rain fell in Montgomery on Saturday, making it the wettest May day on
record in the city.

MORE: Severe Storms, Flooding Hit Plains, Midwest

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